Lifestyle, not just high paying jobs, top draw for talentFewer of those who grow up in rural communities and go off to college seem to be returning home when they graduate. Instead, many are opting for destination cities. Reversing that brain drain will play a big part in attracting new businesses to the region, conference organizers have said.

The Montana Board of Public Education Elects Diane Fladmo as Chairperson"I am very pleased to be allowed to carry on the important
work of the Board in these challenging and exciting times. In concert
with Governor Schweitzer and Superintendent McCulloch the Board has
placed a high priority on Kindergarten to College issues. A focus on
improving the entire education system will enhance Montanaís economy as
we strive for a world class education system viable and competitive
with the rest of the country and world."

Universities Green For Many PurposesColleges and universities are finding innovative ways to be community leaders in waste reduction, renewable energy and green procurement. But their reasons are not selfless.

Butte plant getting boost. $50 million project will increase polysilicon production at REC Silicon“That amount of new investment in our community is fantastic,” said Jim Smitham, executive director of the Butte Local Development Corp. “It shows they are very happy with their operations here.” “They see promise in their plant,” Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive Paul Babb said. “That’s very positive for our area.” The county is also collaborating with REC for a solution to high energy costs.

Hamilton's hotspotsWireless Internet (Wi-Fi) access points, known as “hotspots,” are prevalent downtown - something of a phenomenon in a city of less than 5,000 residents.

Montana Economic Development

Main Street Montana Fall Edition Highlights Silver Bow CountyEach edition of the Main Street provides insightful tools from the
various divisions within the Department of Labor and Industry,
Department of Commerce and the Governor's Office of Economic
Opportunity to assist over 35,000 Montana employers in maximizing their
business potential.

IBM gets start-ups onboard earlyIt's important for platform providers to get in early with start-ups, as limited R&D budgets mean their products will generally use just one vendor's database or middleware stack.

Bio-Diesel As A Rural Development StrategyAlready the world's largest producer of ethanol, Brazil is now betting on biodiesel, with an eye to helping small farmers like De Sousa capitalize on what some see as the next big thing in green energy.

11 companies changing the worldFrom battling traffic and developing new software, to fighting cancer and powering electric cars, Business 2.0 chose these innovators for their big ideas that will change everything.